Padres hire Ruben Niebla as pitching coach before landing manager

Preller stated Niebla is expected to have an impact on the whole organization’s pitchers, not just the big leaguers.

Preller is still interviewing candidates to substitute manager Jayce Tingler, who was fired on Oct. 6 following a brutal second-half collapse that saw the Padres plummet from a solid grip on the NL’s second wild card spot to finishing with a losing record for the 10th time in 11 seasons.

The Padres fired pitching coach Larry Rothschild on Aug. 23 and replaced him with bullpen coach Ben Fritz.

Preller won’t confirm the candidates he’s interviewed so far for the manager’s job, but reports indicate that former Cardinals manager Mike Shildt and former Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen have been interviewed.

As for hiring a pitching coach before a manager, Preller stated that in discussions with different managerial candidates, “They’ve all expressed consistency, ‘If we can get a chance to get a quality person like that, let’s go do it.’

“Most managers today, they’re just looking for really quality people they can surround themselves with. When you get around Ruben, anyone will appreciate what he’s done and his knowledge and his experience and be able to see that and recognize that,” the GM added.

Preller said Niebla will be good for all pitchers in the organization. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. He tailors it to the individual and he’s been able to impact a lot of different guys’ careers over the last two decades.”

The GM said Clevinger told him that if there was one person in the Cleveland organization who had a lot of impact on his career, it was Niebla.

Niebla is returning to Southern California. He was born in Calexico and lives in El Centro, both in neighboring Imperial County. His daughter, Jaelyn, attends San Diego State.

“That as a part of the whole deal. He’s got some local flavor, he’s a guy who grew up a Padres fan,” Preller said. “He has some ties to the area, the community, close to San Diego, his experiences and track record, all those things lined up for us.”

The Padres beefed up their rotation last offseason, only to watch several starters struggle to go deep in games. Additionally, Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Chris Paddack ended the season on the injured list.

Joe Musgrove, who threw the first no-hitter in franchise history on April 9, was the only member of the rotation to make every start.

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